The Hindu : New Delhi News : Noisy scenes at Congress meeting

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Wednesday, Feb 28, 2007
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New Delhi

Noisy scenes at Congress meeting

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee coordination committee meeting called on Monday to discuss preparations for the forthcoming municipal elections witnessed some uproarious scenes what with a section of the members, including Finance Minister A.K. Walia, demanding urgent steps to rein in the private power distribution companies as their poor performance could affect the party's prospects.

During the meeting, chaired by the Congress general secretary in charge of Delhi affairs, Ashok Gehlot, a number of members raised the issue of the discoms not performing well.

They expressed concern that this "negative perception" among the people, created due to a combination of factors such as load shedding, fast running meters and inflated bills, could cost the Congress dear.

The members also urged Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to effectively control the discoms before the situation goes out of hand.

The meeting, also attended by Delhi MPs Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, Kapil Sibal, Krishna Tirath and Sandeep Dikshit, DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma, Delhi Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, and Janardhan Dwivedi and MLA Tajdar Babar, took several decisions pertaining to the MCD polls.

It was decided that the application forms for interested candidates be issued in a day or two and they be given a few days to submit their applications. On the insistence of Mr. Ram Babu Sharma it was decided that these forms be distributed free of cost.

In the 2002 MCD polls a sum of Rs. 3,000 had been charged for each application.

The meeting also decided to constitute a manifesto committee in a couple of days.

It was also agreed that all the block and district Congress Committees would be asked to send their recommendations for the candidates so that they could be considered seriously before the final names were arrived at.

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